Raise your hand to someone who has never been scolded for reading, writing or doing anything that forces them to stare in low light. It is a myth? Were mothers right when they reprimanded us for it? Is it true or is it a lie that it can harm the health of our eyes?
No, reading in low light does not hurt the eyes
We are sorry to leave mothers in a bad place. But if you end up wearing glasses due to myopia and an "I told you so" escapes, explain that according to a study published in the British Medical Journal, reading in low light causes tension in the eyes, makes it difficult to focus, decreases the blink rate and leads to discomfort of dryness, causing itching and redness. But these symptoms disappear in a short time without leaving sequelae. So we will neither go blind, nor see less than a mole for this cause.
But don't trust it, it has other health consequences
That doesn't mean that if you don't flip the switch and force your eyes reading, nothing will happen to you. On the contrary, if you read with insufficient lighting you are creating a tension in the eyes that can trigger a headache, eyestrain, double vision or momentary blurred vision … even if it does not cause loss of vision. With this in mind, to avoid discomfort (and please mom), it doesn't cost you anything to turn on the light, right?
What light is better for reading?
The ideal is to do it with natural light, but when you lack it, opt for a cold light, which corresponds to a clear and white light. On the other hand, a warm, more yellowish light is not recommended. This is more suitable as ambient light, because if you use it to read (or to sew or write or …) it causes more strain on your eyes.
